Question Which one to choose from these 3 laptops?

[brecmadak]

Hey folks,

I need a replacement for my laptop primarily for my work, as a medical illustrator. I work with very large Photoshop files (easily reach over 1,5 GB with well over 50 layers) and usually have over 50 tabs open at any given time. Second only to gaming FromSoftware titles.

I need to use my credits at a particular retailer, and I value your insights on CPU performance above all else. My options are limited to these three laptops due to budget constraints:

Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 — €2,799 — Ryzen 9 7945HX

MSI Raider GE78 — €3,071 (second chance option) — i9 14900HX

MSI Vector GP78 — €3,399 — i9 13950HX

Mind that the build quality of Asus is stated mid whilst the MSIs have high-end build quality.

Now, to my understanding and of all the research I've done, PS mostly utilises processors with fewer cores but higher processor frequency. Such a case with Rhyzen having a higher base clock speed (2.5 GHz vs1.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz) than its Intel competitors. Apart from that, Rhyzen beats Intel on most multi-core tests, however, it stays behind on single cores. And as far as I know, PS favours running on mostly single-core.

However, benchmark data say different in these articles:
https://www.pugetsystems.com/soluti...ons/adobe-photoshop/hardware-recommendations/
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/adobe-photoshop-intel-core-14th-gen-vs-amd-ryzen-7000/

I am mostly puzzled at not being sure paying an extra €271 and getting the 14900HX would be the best option to serve my needs as future-proof.


Thank you for your attention.

 

[baboma]

I'd eliminate the Asus simply because of its 16:9 resolution. Outside of gaming, which favors wide screens, most uses would benefit with more vertical res--16:10 for MSI's in this case, or 3:2 for a minority of laptops.

>Rhyzen beats Intel on most multi-core tests, however, it stays behind on single cores. And as far as I know, PS favours running on mostly single-core.

Photoshop favors Intel CPUs for its QuickSync, which means faster video export. Regardless, CPU perf difference should be a small consideration, since it's a laptop. Thermal constraints matter more, for which there's no data. If we're comparing just between the 2 remaining MSI, given equiv Intel i9's and assume same thermals, then no diff.

One caveat is that all three are intended for home (gaming) use, which means Win11 Home. A clean install to Win11 Pro should be on the to-do.

I found the vendor's specs listing to be inaccurate. Better to compare specs on MSI site. 4080's presence implies the models Raider GE78 HX 14VHG (current gen) and Vector GP78HX 13VH (previous gen), respectively.

https://msi.com/Laptop/Raider-GE78-HX-14VX/Specification

https://msi.com/Laptop/Vector-GP78-HX-13VX/Specification

Some minor diffs. GE78: 1080p cam, 100Whr batt; GP78: 720p cam, 90Whr batt. GE78 is 1mm thinner and 0.1kg heavier. Otherwise, laptops' specs are identical.

Summation: Buy on price.

 

[brecmadak]

Thank you for checking it out for me, baboma.
When you said there was no data about the thermal constraints. Is it normal that they are not meant to be shared at all? Can you elaborate on that?

Second question: I've been using Win10 since I got this GTX 1060 and wondering if switching to Win11 would do any better for my Photoshop-heavy workflow and gaming sessions.

Third: Why I don't see any information regarding the motherboard specs?

Lastly, I will get Raider GE78 HX 14VHG for €3,071.

 

[baboma]

>about the thermal constraints. Is it normal that they are not meant to be shared at all?

Laptops have proprietary designs, which means all have different thermal constraints. The same CPU spec can vary widely in performance. You can get some idea of performance from benchmarks, but there's no consistency in benchmark use in reviews, where sustained perf would differ from one-run perf.

It's the same with phone reviews, where you don't see critical aspects like signal reception strength being measured.

>I've been using Win10 since I got this GTX 1060 and wondering if switching to Win11 would do any better for my Photoshop-heavy workflow and gaming sessions.

I don't think you have a choice, as drivers would be intended for Win11, and may or may not be backward compatible with Win10.

>Why I don't see any information regarding the motherboard specs?

Unlike desktops, motherboard isn't a distinct entity for laptops. It only matters for repair techs, as in when a laptop breaks, the mainboard is the most likely item to be swapped out (aside from broken screen & keyboard of course).